Music
Press
"...But as I said, there are exceptions. And singer/songwriter dorian is not just a pleasant sound in the New York Subway system, he is in fact a great talent. I had my earphones on when I saw dorian at the Columbus Circle subway stop, but his calm demeanor and passion-filled expression intrigued me enough to remove the white buds from my ears. And then I heard the voice. Strong. Soulful. About 12 other commuters and I bobbed our heads in unison as dorian sang, “It’s a New York winter, worse than the last…” and perhaps for the first time, I dreaded the A train for coming so soon. I quickly jotted down the URL on dorian’s CD and proceeded on my way home, the melody of “New York Winter” still going through my head. My iPod remained on pause until I reached the second leg of my commute.
dorian’s four-song acoustic EP, “Seeds,” is an incredibly likeable sampler. Formerly a California actor, dorian writes songs that gracefully balance hope and despair and he sings them with a voice that overflows with earnestness. The lead off track, “Pretending It’s Not Happening” is a great introduction to the artist as we find him crooning, “I wanted to be an actor, well, I guess I wanted fame.” The song is an exercise in soul searching as he denies his own aging and admits to burning bridges, but he ends the song with a promising refrain: “I’m learning, I’m living and dying to hold onto me.”
“New York Winter” perfectly captures the collective psyche of the struggling New Yorker, subtly touching on drug addiction, homelessness, blasting cold climates and the 9/11 tragedy without an shred of cliché. On paper it may read as doom and gloom, but dorian cleverly keeps the misfortune at arms-length by telling the story through observation. The song, as New Yorkers did and continue to do, rises above the struggle.
The EP closes with a cover of Ray Charles’ “Born to Lose,” another tune filled with lyrics of hopelessness: “There’s no use to dream of happiness; All I see is loneliness.” But dorian’s commanding delivery once again pries the song free of its dreary anchor..."
"...Until the album comes out, these four songs make my commute a bit more enjoyable. As for dorian, I believe that he is an artist that is primed for surfacing."
by Randy Abramson
For full review: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6871802/ - MSNBC.COM
Discography
Stone to Stone - LP
Garden - LP
Seeds - EP
Photos
Bio
...he began writing deeply biographical songs on his guitar as a way of processing his situation. One song led to another as he fashioned himself into a true songwriter. He then set his sights on mastering the guitar and becoming a legit musician. He spent the next two years writing songs in a rooming house looking for a way to express his life story. His original love of writing and playing music surfaced with such force that it wasn’t long before his instinct to perform reemerged and ignited a year of touring the open-mic scene in Staten Island, Brooklyn and Greenwich Village.
After receiving numerous accolades for his many performances in clubs and parties and while busking on the street, he recorded the four-song, acoustic EP, Seeds, with co-producer Matthew Broyels. Seeds made the rounds, eventually financing the recording of his first LP, Garden. “Selling Seeds on the street was my record deal.”
In an unprecedented review of an unsigned artist, Randy Abramson of MSNBC.com noted, “Dorian writes songs that gracefully balance hope and despair and he sings them with a voice that overflows with earnestness.”
Dorian’s music has been compared to Seal, Ben Harper and Jeff Buckley, yet his original style continues to hold true. His work is a fusion of everything he’s ever heard and liked. Some might call it alternative rock, others, pop folk. “I say listen for yourself and define me for yourself. I always like to hear what other people think of my sound; a struggle always ensues anytime someone tries to box me up --- but I’m sure it won’t keep them from trying!”
Dorian has just finished recording his second LP along side producer/bassist Stefan Held. Stone to Stone is due to be released May/June 2008.
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